Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons: Legend of the Flower- Working Title
by kitfoxpup
Summary: Rapunzel has spent her entire life locked in a tower. Hogwarts is as stalwart as ever, but they need her help- along with the guardians, and any students they can muster. A new Magic Gang will have to save the day as they battle fear and darkness itself. T for now, to be safe... Not sure on pairings at all. - Big Four Hogwarts AU
1. 1: Tiny Feet, Tiny Dreams

Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons... On Ice.

Chapter 1

Jack stood on the tall spire, looking out over the massive forest. It spread out in every direction, farther than the eye could see- just trees, everywhere, in every direction. It was a wonderful hideout- perfectly planned. He had to give the old witch some credit.

Magic fizzled and crackled around him, but he just smirked at the ease of being undetected. Clearly that old hag had no idea what she would be one day dealing with, and she HAD to have expected it to come down to this. She had to know that he, and others, would come looking.

He slid easily between the magic hiding the tall tower from sight, from touch, from being noticed- the magic that kept the tower from being touched from the outside world. It was powerful magic, to be sure, but not powerful enough to keep out Jack Frost. Not forever.

Jack paused at the lip of the tower spire, it's shingles red and perfect- as if it had been built yesterday. He leaned over to listen to the argument transpiring beneath him.

"But mom, just- just five minutes! Just five this year, please! Just let me touch the grass!" It was the voice of a small girl, much too small for her age of 11 years. She seemed on the verge of tears.

"NO Rapunzel!" This voice was angrier, and older woman's voice. It was commanding, angry, furious even. Jack frowned. It didn't sound like a mother's voice at all, and he'd had many years to hear what the different voices of women sounded like.

"But-"

"I said NO, Rapunzel, and that is FINAL," the woman snapped. "Stop. Asking. I keep you here for YOUR OWN GOOD. You KNOW what's out there, what will get you!"

"But... But right outside the tower, mother?" The girl was now fighting very hard not to cry, which Jack could tell despite being unable to see her. Her voice quivered, and it sounded about ready to crack.

"Yes, Rapunzel," the woman- Jack knew her name to be Gothel- said in a tight voice. She was clearly holding back her frustration, anger, and patience. "Out there, they are always looking for us. I have magic around this tower- you know this- magic to keep them away, keep them from finding you. If you step outside this tower, they will find you- and they will take you from me."

The girl- Rapunzel- sniffled, but said nothing. A moment later, Jack heard the sound of small feet running, and then a door slamming.

A groan escaped from Gothel, and she suddenly entered Jack's vision: a woman with thick, curly black hair in a tight fitting red gown. He frowned; Gothel should not have looked as young as she did. He'd have to chalk it up to the other billion things he didn't know about this mission.

"'Being a mother is easy,'" Gothel muttered in a mocking voice beneath him. "'She'll be easy to handle. Just tell her never to leave...' What an idiot I was for thinking that."

Jack raised an eyebrow. He already didn't like this woman; if only he didn't have to wait until after dark to move.

Gothel stared out the window a while longer before twirling her fingers lazily. Jack watched in interest, almost missing when her body stiffened, her fingers seemingly caught on something. Belatedly, Jack realized that she had been searching the magic around the tower; he'd been careless. Quickly, he darted back, just as Gothel looked up.

Jack was invisible to most mortals on any day, but he had suspicions about Gothel's mortality and abilities. He wasn't trusting "usual" to a woman who most definitely had no qualms with believing in him, and he narrowly missed being seen by the woman. There was a moment of silence, and Gothel moved away. Jack spent the rest of the day carefully maintaining his invisibility and secrecy, but the magic encircling the tower grew more powerful, causing him to focus more. He couldn't lose sight of the tower, and he couldn't lose his position- not when they were so close.

Not when they'd finally found her.

* * *

><p>Waiting was agonizing. As night fell, Jack ground his teeth; they had to wait until Gothel and Rpaunzel laid down to sleep, and then Sandy could move. Until then... Jack couldn't do a thing, and holding off Gothel's magic had given him a massive migrain. He wasn't used to being still for so long, and it was incredibly agitating. Again, he wondered why, of all people, that he was the one here.<p>

_"__Hagrid is off dealing with another student," _the headmaster's voice echoed in his memory. He could picture her stern, lined face very clearly, framed by her peeking brown hair. Her glasses rested on the bridge of her nose as she looked down at Jack, despite the fact that he was, of course, floating above her. Somehow, McGonagall could do that... Even in his memory. _"None of the other Professor's can be spared, nor are they powerful enough, and the other guardians have their own rolls to play. No, Jack, as the guardian most capable of dealing with children, you are our best hope. Our only hope."_

Jack had to suppress a groan. That line was what had really sold him- a child in need? Of course he was going to help.

Gold dust fluttered down in front of Jack, taking the shape of a butterfly, and Frost watched with baited breath as it slowly fluttered down into the window below. Slowly, he crept after it, following it as slowly and quietly as it could, leaping down into the tower through the window.

Momentarily, Jack was distracted by how small the space was- he couldn't believe that Gothel was raising a child in such a small, cramped space. There had to be absolutely nothing to do for the girl.

The area was barren, but for cooking supplies. The floor was made of wood planks, and there was no staircase in sight, though Jack was sure there was a way out somewhere, otherwise Gothel would be unable to leave... And the magic on the tower did not stipulate that she needed to be there to control it.

The golden butterfly fluttered up a steep staircase, and Jack hopped after it, avoiding the stairs entirely and using his staff to step around anything in his way. It took many agonizing seconds... But the butterfly darted through a wooden doorway, and after waiting a few minutes, Jack slid into the door.

Gothel lay, passed out cold, on her bed, still in her red gown and shoes. She had clearly been waiting for Jack to try and step through the door, as she was haphazardly sprawled across the sheets, as though she had fallen there. Grinning, Jack snapped his fingers underneath her nose. Gothel did not stir.

"Good job, Sandy," he said aloud, and a sprinkle of gold dust fluttered around Jack in response. It was his turn to step up.

Truth to tell, Jack was nervous. He had no idea if he was truly powerful enough to shatter the witch's magic; it was definitely strong, stronger now that he had almost been caught. Despite that, he had to try.

Jumping back into the main room of the tower, moving past Rapunzel's room entirely- it was obviously her's, as it was the only other door in the area- Jack leaped outside and sat on the tall spire. After a quick moment, he flipped his staff around, and snow began falling in a flurry outside of the magic barrier around the tower, sliding off of Gothel's magic as if it were as solid as stone. Gritting his teeth, Jack methodically swung the staff, creating a swirling eddy that grew steadily into a storm. The snow smashed against the barrier, draining his energy but making progress all the same.

All of a sudden, a set of clouds that were covering the moon drifted away, and the white light of the full moon fell on Jack, illuminating him entirely, as well as the magic. A surge of power ran through him, and, almost without meaning too, Jack swung the staff in a massive circle, nearly spinning right off the tower. The snow hardened into solid icicles, slamming full-tilt into the magic spells intricately and complicatedly woven around the tower-

And it shattered.

"Thanks," Jack gasped, looking up at the full moon. He understood, now, why Minerva had said it had to be tonight. Without the Man in the Moon, Jack wasn't sure he could have handled it.

Another surge of energy ran through Jack, and he quickly hopped to it, sliding back down the roof. There was a second window, looking into Rapunzel's room, and he popped down to look inside.

Two large, green eyes filled his entire vision.

"GAK-" Jack slipped.

"EEK!" Rapunzel squealed, flinging herself away from the window in shock, watching as Jack slipped from the lip of the roof above the window.

"Wait!" Using the wind, Jack Frost landed on the window sill, quickly brushing off snow from his blue sweatshirt. The ever present ice that coated the area around his neck, however, remained, as omnipresent as ever.

"You- you're here to- to-" Rapunzel swallowed, and Jack winced. He hadn't even thought she would see him, if he was being honest. This 11 year old had no reason to believe in him, and Minerva had told him that it was possible that Gothel had purposely never told Rapunzel about the guardians, in an effort to leave them powerless when they came for her. Jack could only be seen if the person before him believed in him.

"Wait," Jack said softly, stepping slowly toward her. He felt massive before this teeny tiny 11 year old- she needed sustenance, and fast- and very self-conscious of how he must look. He had snow white hair, he was covered in snow, and he had just been floating.

Rapunzel, however, was as bright and sunny as if the sun itself had been out. Long blonde hair- really long, at least seven feet in length- curled around her feet, and she was holding a tight bunch of it in her arms, as if to protect it from Jack. Large green eyes filled her gaunt face, whether from lack of physical exercies or food Jack didn't know, and fear lined every aspect of her attention. She wore no shoes, and her dress was pink and purple with white edging, looking as though it were hand made.

"Who- who-" the girl swallowed, holding her hair tighter. "Where's Mother?"

"Your mom is sleeping," Jack said quietly. Minerva had warned him not to mention that Gothel wasn't really Rapunzel's mother; that would have to come with time. "She... She's had a long day. I brought you something."

"Mom said never to talk to strangers," Rapunzel whisepered. Jack smiled, as friendly as he could muster.

"I'm not a stranger," he said quietly. "You've seen me before, haven't you- Rapunzel?"

She stared at him, green eyes wide, and he knew he had her. Rapunzel believed in him because she'd seen him before- likely, doing his job and spreading cold and ice to the forest.

"I'm Jack. Jack Frost." He held out his hand, and when Rapunzel didn't immediately step away, he smiled wider. A large, beautiful snowflake- large enough to see all of the ice crystals up close- appeared in his hand, spinning in all of its glittering beauty.

"Ooooh," Rapunzel whispered. The fear melted away, and she dropped her hair, reaching for the snowflake. Before she touched it, Jack filled it with all of his good intentions, his unspoken promises to protect her- to show her what she wanted to see most.

She responded immediately.

The snowflake didn't melt in her fingers, and she turned it around, the blue glitter of Jack's magic twinkling in front of her eyes. Giggling, Rapunzel spun the snowflake in her hands, touching it and reveling in its cold feel- she had never felt snow before. Gothel had protected the tower from any weather but that of Spring.

"See?" Jack whispered, kneeling in front of her. She looked up and smiled at him.

"You're a boy," she whispered quietly, and very hesitantly placed one of her small hands on his face. His blue-green eyes widened, and she smiled wider. "I've never seen a boy before."

Jack's heart twisted. How could Gothel had sheltered this child so harshly? Could she even survive outside the tower?

Grimacing, Jack leaned on his staff and moved away from Rapunzel, and she didn't follow him, instead clinging to the snowflake he had given her.

"Why are you here?" Rapunzel asked quietly, curiously. She was no longer afraid.

"I have something for you," Jack said gravely. He removed a yellowed parchment envelope from his pocket, handing it to Rapunzel. She took it eagerly, still holding onto the snowflake with one hand. "It's an envelope... Inviting you to a school. A very special school."

"A school?" Green eyes moved up, wide. "What's a school?"

Jack hesitated, feeling out of his depth.

"A school... Is a place where kids go to learn about magic. How to do magic," he added. "It outside... And they protect their students, their children. It's a place to make friends."

"Wh... Why do they want me?" Rapunzel whispered. "I... Mother would be mad if I went..."

"Rapunzel." Jack placed two hands on her tiny shoulders. "Do you really want to stay here? Really really want to stay here, with your mother? Because you can always come back... But once I leave, I can't."

Rapunzel's eyes widened, and Jack could see the pain in them as she tried to make a decision.

"Maybe I should go," he said quietly, and she jumped up, grabbing his blue sweatshirt desperately.

"No." Gold hair flipped about as she shook her head. "No. I- I wanna go. With you. I want to do magic. I... I want to show mom. I want to show her that... That I can protect myself from the... The bad people."

Jack took in her appearance: a small girl who'd never been outside, didn't know what boys looked like, and had pigeontoe'd feet and a heavy mother complex, not even knowing that she'd been abused all her life. If only she knew that it wasn't the outside world that she needed to be protected from.

Jack took her small hand in his.

"I'll make sure you're always safe," he promised. The cold within him welled up, and he placed a finger on the snowflake he'd made her. "Even when I'm not around. If you need me, just hold that snowflake close, and I'll come. I promise."

Rapunzel looked up at him and smiled.

"I know."


	2. 2: I Trust You

**A/N: **I completely lost the file. I'm not even kidding. I posted chapter 1 and was all super gung ho, wrote a whole other chapter- and mind you, I've written the first chapter for this story like five times before deciding this was perfect- and my computer decided to relocate the entire file. TT_TT

Anyway, here's chapter 2! MERRY CHRISTMAS! -is waiting for Dragon Age: Inquisition to stop downloading already-

Chapter 2

Jack grabbed Rapunzel's hands, leaping onto the windowsill and taking her with him. She giggled, teetering slightly on the edge as she looked over. Her wonder made Jack smile all the wider.

"Just you wait," he laughed, "you're about to see something really amazing."

He tossed Rapunzel into the air, and she shrieked in excitement, trusting him completely. Grabbing her with both hands around her very tiny waist, Jack rode the wind to the top of the tower, turning to show the 11 year old the view before them. She squealed in awe and delight at the world before her, the small area around the tower still covered in snow. She stamped her feet in excitement.

"Look up," Jack laughed, pointing up, and Rapunzel looked up towards the stars in the night sky. Her green eyes widened in disbelief, reflecting the sight above her, as if she had never seen anything so amazing.

"It's so big," she whispered. "I've never seen the sky look so... Big."

Glancing up at the moon, Jack muttered a small prayer and swung his staff in a fancy arc. A wave of glittering magic shot into the night sky, forming into a massive snowflake. It twirled in the air, the moon's rays hitting it just perfectly so that it shone like a massive ball of pure glittering light. Rapunzel gasped, squealing when it exploded above them, tinier snowflakes still impeccable in their design fluttering around them. She reached out to touch some, and the tiny snowflakes landed on her finger tips, spinning lightly before finally melting. Jack laughed as Rapunzel expressed her utter delight at such things.

"Do you regret the decision to leave yet?" he asked, grinning. The tiny blonde haired girl shook her head, and Jack was distracted by the length of her hair. It was dangerously long. He had a few minutes before their backup showed up, so he decided to ask her why her hair was so long.

"Hey Rapunzel," Jack said casually, leaning on his staff, "it's kind of dangerous to have such long hair. Shouldn't we maybe cut-"

He immediately stopped. Rapunzel had switched from her excited, delighted self, turning to him with terrified eyes. She stopped reaching for the snowflakes, picking up as much of her hair as she could and stumbling away from him.

"No," she whispered. "You can't. Don't touch my-"

"Rapunzel, wait!" Jack shouted, and she toppled off the roof with a shriek. Jack threw himself with all the force of the wind after her, grabbing her hand even as she was falling.

"Put me down," Rapunzel shrieked, and Jack set her down gently on the roof. "Don't touch my hair."

Jack Frost was confused. He couldn't understand what was bothering her, but he did know that he had said something wrong and freaked her out. Her hair was clearly not an okay subject to touch on.

"Okay," he said softly, putting his hands up where she could see them. "I'm sorry. I promise not to mention your hair or touch it." He tilted his head to peer up into her green eyes, trying to gauge whether he had screwed everything up or not. "Forgive me?"

Rapunzel stood for a moment, deliberating. She glanced up at the sky- which was still filled with blue glitter- and her shoulders slumped.

"Yes," she said softly. "Promise you won't do anything to my hair." She held out her pinky finger, and Jack sighed.

"I promise." He was absolutely flustered at such a weird reaction to her hair... But it was still a problem.

Unfortunately, he didn't have a chance to broach the subject, because their backup had arrive.

"HELLO JACK FROST!" Jack and Rapunzel looked up at the sound of an extremely thick Russian accent, just in time to see a massive portal open up in the thick black sky. Rapunzel squeaked in shock as a sleigh almost as long as the tower was tall popped out, guided by reindeer. The man riding the flying sleigh was none-other than Nicholas St. North, more commonly known as Santa Clause.

"Hey North!" Jack said, waving, and Rapunzel made a sound of admiration as the sleigh drew closer to the tower rooftop. It parked perfectly, the large Russian man hopping out and landing with a heavy thud.

"Hello, Jack!" Santa Clause- commonly called North by the other Guardians- roared in greeting, grabbing Jack before the white-haired guardian of fun could get away and crushing him in a massive bear hug. "Is good to see you! Why you never come visit?!"

"Because- you always- try to- kill me!" Jack gasped, trying to wriggle free.

"Nonsense!" North roared again. "Kill you?! I would never kill good friend!"

North was at least three times the size of Jack in any given direction, and he had a massive white beard and massive muscles to go with it. Two thick swords hung on his back, and he wore a large red robe lined with black fur. One arm was tattooed with the Naughty list, while the other was tattooed with the Nice list.

"Santa Claus!" Rapunzel squealed. North immediately dropped Jack, suddenly seeing Rapunzel for the first time.

"OH, look at how CUTE she is!" He roared in delight, and Rapunzel burst into laughter as North picked her up (much gentler) and swung her around, her long blonde hair flying around them. North blinked immediately, glancing at the hair in confusion, but Jack made large motions with his hands, mouthing "DON'T MENTION THE HAIR". North set her down, deliberating.

"You are such a pretty girl," he mused, winking conspiratorially at her. Rapunzel burst into giggles; she was 11, but she'd never had the presence of other children to mature off of. It was like she was 6. "But I think... You would look pretty in braid."

"Braid?" Rapunzel cocked her head in confusion. "What's... Braid?" she turned to look at Jack, who wasn't sure he trusted himself to explain without terrifying her. He just shrugged, leaning on his staff with a big smile.

"Braid is making it easier for you to run around and enjoy the world!" North roared with laughter (it was rare that North was not roaring with any kind of emotion when he moved), and a little bit of magic spread out from his hands. Rapunzel's hair immediately began to braid itself, and she gasped with wonder, watching it gather itself up. When it was done, her hair was collected very neatly in a very pretty french braid. Jack was actually very impressed.

"Oooooo!" she gasped, spinning around to try and see it better.

"I may not be around later," North said, and he waggled his fingers. A little comb appeared in his hand. "So use this to braid hair. It'll make life easier, you think?"

"I love it!" she laughed, and gave North a hug around the neck. Jack rolled his eyes. Why Minerva didn't just send North was beyond him, the man worked amazingly with kids.

"All right," North grunted, standing up, "I have tight schedule. Must get back to North Pole. I'll take you to Diagon Alley, you get her things. Make sure she safe." North wagged a finger at Jack, who snorted.

"No guardian better suited to protect her," he boasted. Rapunzel giggled.

"How are we getting to... To... Wherever?" she asked excitedly. All traces of her fear from earlier were gone.

"We," North said, pausing dramatically, "are taking the sleigh."

Both Rapunzel and Jack burst into wide grins.

– – – – –

Gothel woke up with a massive headache, groaning heavily. She had just had an impressively bad nightmare, something she wouldn't say she'd had in years. In fact, she hadn't dreamt in years. She'd made sure her magic would block out this idiotic guardians, including that blasted sa-

"Oh no," she gasped, and she immediately ran from her room, sprinting down the hallway and bursting into Rapunzel's room.

She was gone. The floor was covered in snow.

"Those... NO!" Gothel screamed, clutching at her hair. Her life, her beauty, her immortality, everything she was depended on that child! "How could they-"

"Jack Frost."

Gothel spun around, and the room immediately darkened. The sun had been glittering through the window moments before- clearly they'd been gone for a long while- but the presence speaking to her now blotted out all else.

"You," she snarled. "You said that that magic would keep them from finding me!"

"I hadn't counted on them picking up a new pet," the figure snapped back, and Gothel blanched. Pitch had the ability to be even more intimidating than she could be.

He stepped from the shadows, his skin gray and lifeless. White fangs hang over his lips, and nightmares danced in her eyes. Gothel realized that it had probably been his fault that she had had nightmares... Though it was those nightmares that had woken her up. She chose not to mention it.

"What are you doing here?" she snarled. "You were banished."

"All things that are forgotten can become free again," Pitch laughed, but his body flickered. Cursing, he stepped back into the shadows. "I am not entirely back, though. No, I need the magic of that girl. The magic of the flower."

"You're not the only one," Gothel snarled. "Just remember that she's mine. You promised, and though you may frighten me I will NOT let her go."

"Quite the contrary," Pitch said languidly. "I know a way that we can both use her. We just need the magic, not the girl. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to be free again, Gothel?"

Gothel narrowed her eyes. What was Pitch getting at?

"I'm saying that there's a way to extract the magic from Rapunzel. We can recreate the flower."

Gothel's eyes widened in disbelief. Be free from that retched child? Live her life? Be young and beautiful... Forever?

"I'm in," she growled, and Pitch smiled wide, bearing his pearly fangs.

"Of course you are."


	3. 3: Dragons Are Magic Too

**A/N: **All right, here we go- chapter 3! I had a lot of fun with this chapter. It's all about Hiccup! I'm a little nervous with the fact that I didn't make Astrid or any of the other Dragon riders magical, but it didn't feel right. They're all too... Warsy. It'd be like giving Anna magic. That would make absolutely NO sense whatsoever.

Anyway, enjoy Chapter 3!

** Chapter 3**

Hagrid stood staring in complete and utter admiration at the sight before him. Well over seven or even eight feet tall, the giant of a man towered above all the other men around him, much to their discomfort. It was clear that these were men who did not take well to being made to feel small; they were massive in their own right, but the giant's blood coursing through Hagrid's veins won out over their very human mass and size. Like vikings, they were.

"Well, there ye go," the tallest of the village grunted. He was massive, aptly named Stoic the Vast. While Hagrid towered over him, Stoic was far wider in girth, and through sheer muscle as well. The man had a thick scottish accent, matching the land that Hagrid had been sent to, and his expression was one of confusion and disdain. While his family had long been mere mortals, battling dragons from the land as was their birthright through ancestry, Stoic had been unprepared for the largest twist of fate of them all- his son, as it were.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddoc the Third- a truly impressive name, Hagrid had to admit to himself- was the very sight before him that had the half-giant (on his mum's side o' course) truly impressed and flabberghasted. The lad- tiny twig of a boy, smaller than even Harry had been when Hagrid had first run across him- was riding on the back of one of the rarest, most dangerous dragons in existence. Having done a great deal of research on dragons at one point in his life, and he knew this beast only by its name and by no other fact- the Terrible Night Fury, who rained down death and lightning. Not even he would have been mad to try and raise one. A massive Norwegian Ridgeback, oh sure, but while a Night Fury was ten times smaller than a Norwegian, it could have easily toppled it over with a mere sneeze.

"How did 'e manage it?" Hagrid grunted, watching in growing curiosity. "Was it 'is magic that done trained the drag'n?"

"Magic." Stoic the Vast sounded insulted by the mere mention of magic- his people had always relied on brute strength, and not a drop of magic existed anywhere in Stoic's bloodline (so he liked to believe). The appearance of it in his son, and not to mention his son's strange habit of befriending dragons, had completely disarmed him.

"Aye, magic," Hagrid said sternly, "and it tain't nothin' to be ashamed of. Tha' boy's got talent, mark me. Can' figure out 'ow 'e managed it, though."

"It was easy, really," Hiccup said, having overheard as he landed the mighty Night Fury. The boy had messy brown hair and was shorter than any first year Hagrid had ever seen. He wondered, in an off-hand way, if the boy was mal-nourished. Hagrid's attention was caught again as the Night Fury shook itself; the resemblance to a cat was uncanny. It looked over the half-giant with a lazy glance, almost uncaringly, but when it's large green eyes rested on Hiccup, it took on a look of affection and near adoration.

At that moment, Hagrid noticed a splash of color on its tale. With a second look, he realized that, through the use of a strange leather contraption, a flag bearing the villages colors and symbol was attached where the tail wing should have been. Hiccup followed his gaze, his expression growing somber with a twinge of sadness.

"Ah," he said quietly. "That would be my doing."

Sensing Hiccup's distress. The Night Fury crooned softly, bumping Hiccup in the chest. The boy laughed lightly, but his sadness stayed. "In my attempt to be someone I'm not, I hurt Toothless. Now, he needs me to fly- to survive." He gestured to Hagrid, who, while not entirely sure he understood correctly, was interested in learning about this boy and the Night Fury so strangely named Toothless. A saddle sat on Toothless's back, worn but strong, and a pair of stirrups were connected to the tail. Hiccup moved one with his foot experimentally, and Hagrid watched as the tail wing moved accordingly. He shook his head in marvel.

"Yer a genius, lad," he grunted. "Ye'd do well in Ravenclaw."

"I'm- Raven-what?"

"I take it ye don't right know how you do some things."

"I..." Hiccup frowned lightly. "Well... I mean, I create things, I make things, but sometimes... Sometimes I'm not sure how. What are you talking about?"

"Ye've got magic in yer blood," Hagrid explained proudly, but Hiccup's face fell.

"Oh great," he said quietly, glancing to the left. A group of kids his age- that is to say, newly turned 11- were watching in disapproval and contempt. All but a girl with blonde hair- she watched with a tinge of worry in her eyes as Hiccup continued muttering to himself. "Another way to make me different from everyone else."

"And how is that a bad thing?" Hagrid snapped, making Hiccup jump. The giant cleared his throat. "My name is Rubeus Hagrid. I'm the keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts, school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Tain't no school like it anywhere, and ye'll receive an education the likes of which you'll never find anywhere else."

Hiccup looked completely flumoxed.

"Hog- Hog Warts? That sounds painfu-"

"Hogwarts. It's a school, lad."

"I... I got that, but-"

"And, Professor McGonagall- tha's the headmaster, ye know, brilliant woman, almost as brilliant as Dumbledore-" Here, Hiccup looked as flumoxed and confused as ever- "-has given you permission to bring yer dragon. Reckons yer magic is deeply connected to it, considerin' ye didn't have magic affore yeh met."

Hiccup looked at Toothless as if asking for help, but the Dragon just shrugged. It had even less of a clue as to what was going on. So Hiccup turned to Stoic the Vast, chieftan of the village... And his father.

Stoic's chest rose, holding a position of highest contempt, before falling in defeat.

"Oh, son," he said softly, rubbing his face. "I wish I knew what was right. Yer mother woulda known. She knew so much with you, she was such a natural..." He came forward, resting a hand on Hiccup's shoulder and nearly sending the boy to the ground. "But my son... Hiccup. I think you should go."

"You-" Hiccup looked astounded. "You do?"

"There is nothin' for you here, son," Stoic sighed. "Even I know that. You've calmed the war between our people and dragons, you've befriended one... What else can I teach you? There's a while yet till ye become chief of the village... Leastwise, I hope so... So why don't you go? Learn something to further help your people."

Poor Hiccup looked absolutely dismayed and hopeful all in one. The idea of meeting like-minded individuals, people as special and different as him, was nearly all of the lure he could have wanted. After a moment of standing and looking between all of the open, sceptical faces of his people, Hiccup turned to his dragon Toothless. The large, cat-like green eyes took in his expression before nodding, crooning again.

"As long as Toothless can come," Hiccup said determinedly, "then I will go. If I can use this knowledge to help my people you can believe I will."

Stoic clasped his son on the back, and Hagrid laughed a deep belly laugh. He could see that the next seven years were going to be very interesting indeed.


End file.
